I just got accepted into Carleton College class of 2020. But I am so confused. Could someone explain to me what life is like at Carleton? I’m flying form half the world away to attend this College and a little head start would be great. Like, what about the campus life, parties, things to do outside campus and the diversity? I am scared I wont fit in, so um. I’m open to all suggestions!
Thank you!
I will start by saying, I have visited Northfield and Carleton, and I have done a lot of reading about the school. I would not say that I am an expert though. The best thing that you can do is look on the web for students that have discussed their experiences. I will tell you my impressions. It’s a top academic school. extremely rigorous without the competition that you find at some of the academically comparable schools on the east coast.I believe that it has inherited much of the midwestern friendliness.
There is another college in the town, St. Olaf, and I understand that there is mingling that goes on between the schools, though I don’t know the mechanism that allows that. There is not much to do in the town, but Carleton has a lot of events on campus such as concerts and movies to help prevent boredom. There are also many clubs on campus to allow the students to be active in areas of interest.
The school is very liberal and has a strong activist bent to it, but it is tolerant of other beliefs. When we interviewed, we had a wonderful interviewer, and we discussed this. As it turned out, she was actually fairly religious and on the conservative side, but still felt welcomed on campus.
The students are often defined as being quirky. I have a feel for what that is, but it’s a little hard to describe. Does that mean nerdy but with a good sense of humor, perhaps that’s part of it. The diversity can be found pretty easily, just google it and it will come up. There are places that have that information readily available. One excellent source of data is the Common Data Set.
As I think of more things to add, I will. Pros: Strong academics, friendly, very pretty, Cons: It will be too remote for some people. The town is small, and so is the school. Neutral depending on your personal taste: the quirkiness.
My son has been accepted, and desperately wants to go there. It is his first choice. We have some better financial offers on the table that we will have to investigate a little more,but he fell in love with it. He is very intense, good student, but looking for something that is collaborative.
I hope that helps. Good luck.
That is a good summary, anxious dad. Read all the reviews here, too. They are pretty good and some themes emerge.
I have a child there who is very happy. I admit I was surprised he chose Carleton because I didn’t think he would like the remoteness and relative quietness of the campus. (His other top choices were in lively, urban areas and he attended a high school that was much larger than Carleton.)
What he likes: the physical beauty of the campus, the arboretum (he was won over by the very remoteness and naturalness I thought he wouldn’t like), the strong sense of community, the niceness and collaborativeness, not having to declare a major. The academics are tough. He has had to raise his game for sure. However, he also seems to feel safe and free to take those academic risks. He is taking challenging classes and isn’t afraid to do so. He enjoys being surrounded by smart kids in an environment in which everyone supports one another. I can point to the math help center. He is good at math, but there were some holes in his high school background. He took advantage of this resource, sometimes to get help, sometimes to offer it.
What I like: that he is happy! Also, that he seems to be stretching himself and growing both socially and academically. I like that he is taking tough classes, that he isn’t afraid to (not fail) make a B or C. I like that he has made so many friends. He didn’t know a soul when he arrived and he is not terribly outgoing. We have lived in the same place for years, so he hasn’t had to make friends in a long time. Now he is so busy! I probably should say that is one of the things he likes best, that he has met so many cool people. He complains there aren’t enough hours in the day to do all he wants to do. (in a good way)
He isn’t that quirky himself, but the rest of the family is. I think of him as the popular kid. He probably feels right at home!
My DD was accepted to Carleton and to Olaf (with generous scholarship). We are full pay so this factors into it.
She’s visited both and interviewed at Carleton. Because it was summer, no one was really around at either school, and she didn’t meet any students except at Olaf (there were a lot of student tour guides versus just one at Carleton). It will be interesting to see which she chooses.
My DD is in the same boat-accepted to both schools (Carleton and St. Olaf with scholarship)-we’re also full pay. Both my husband and I are Carleton alums and, to be honest, when we started this journey St. Olaf wasn’t even on our radar (fours years of being brainwashed into believing your school is the better of the two is hard to overcome) until my daughter realized how important music is to her. Combine that with her interest in science, desire to study abroad and the merit aid (all areas that St. Olaf does well) and it’s no longer a school we can ignore. Plus she really loved the feel of the campus and the people she met while visiting/interviewing. But she loved the vibe at Carleton as well. She’s attending the admitted students day at both schools before making her decision.
So interesting to me that your kids applied to both. Are y’all from Minnesota?
You betcha! (I recommend reading How to Talk Minnesotan before your arrival-it will save you all kinds of heartache/misunderstanding…
I grew up in the South, came to Minnesota for college and never left…have gained a huge appreciation for the Scandinavian sensibilities and even adopted a few myself. St. Olaf now feels less like a foreign land overpopulated with blondes and more like home. That being said, never in a million years will you get me to chant Um Ya Ya…
Last part of my post was cut off but what I mostly wanted to say is that the Carleton and Olaf alums I know are equally kind, caring, curious, engaged in their communities, lifelong learners, world travelers, successful and happy…neither school is going to make or break you-there are an abundance of opportunities at both-you just have to grab the bull by the horns and make the most of your time there.
@bwcafan, my husband and I are both Carleton alums, too. We have several children and the idea that another college might be a better choice for them was at first hard to fathom! But in the end, it was so much fun getting to know other schools. Still, I’m not sure I could have accepted an Ole in the family… 
Our youngest was admitted to Carleton and will be at Accepted Student Days in April. This was unexpected. She had little interest in Carleton until she visited, and then it worked its magic.
That makes sense that you’d be from MN. We are from a Southern state, and I know plenty of kids who applied to one or the other but not both. I think if you’re in MN then it makes more sense, like in NC you might look at both UNC and Davidson.
Also, I love all the traffic in this forum right now. 
D2 went to Carleton, her same-age cousin went to St. Olaf, and my other niece is at the University of Minnesota. My siblings and I live in Wisconsin, but all our children went out of state for college.
My D and my S both went to Carleton. They have a cousin who went to St. Olaf and another who went to Macalester. And we are all New Englanders. Go figure!
no, we’re not from MN.
One of my chief concerns is this rather petty competition between Carleton and Olaf and a lot of Carleton kids thinking Oles are bunch of thicks. It’s putting a damper on both schools for me, frankly.
Tyto, my kid thought the competition was hilarious and fun, but then we’re from a state where sports rivalries are taken very seriously. He went to a hockey game one year that was scary in its intensity, but I think that was more the alcohol than the rivalry.
I wish that I could find the post I wrote in March 2014 (I think) after the car accident that killed three Carleton ultimate players. It was a bit of a love letter to St. Olaf. As you might know, Carleton has a tradition called Friday flowers, where you can put fresh flowers in the mailbox of a friend or teacher or child (you can arrange it long distance). The next Friday after the accident (it happened on a Friday evening on the way to the airport as various teams were headed to tournaments), St. Olaf arranged for every person on the Carleton campus to receive a flower. It was such a heartfelt, lovely gesture. As an ultimate mom whose ds already had made it to the airport that fateful night, I’ll never forget it. I’m tearing up now as I write this. St. Olaf always will hold a special place in my heart.
Unfortunately, a few months later Carleton had the opportunity to return the favor.
http://www.today.com/news/carleton-college-fills-rival-st-olafs-mailboxes-flowers-1D80225186
Maybe because I follow all the ultimate teams, I see the love between those in that community all the time. The Carleton DIII women’s team played St. Olaf’s in Georgia last weekend. After Carleton won, here’s what the Oles tweeted: “9-15 but really Nofo love-Nofo love (but the 
kind of love not the tennis kind of love) gg @eclipsethedisc #cowscollegescontentment” So, for some, it’s a lovefest of a rivalry.
I’ve found most of the kidding good-natured, not truly vitriolic, but as we say on cc YMMV. Good luck with your dd’s decision. Let us know whether she picks either Nofo school!
@Youdon’tsay, what you describe was my experience both as an alum (distant past) and as the mother of an alum (recent past). To me, the rivalry is like two siblings who love to yank each other’s chains, but are steadfast supporters of one another during the hard times. As the St. Olaf student president said about the “Carls love Oles” condolences (in the above link), ““I was filled with gratitude for their act of solidarity, and I was proud to be a part of the St. Olaf and Carleton community,” she said. "We may seem like rivals, but in reality, we truly care about each other.”
D was also accepted to both St Olaf and Carleton, receiving merit aid from Olaf and just plain love from Carleton, as we are full pay as well. She first became interested in Olaf because of the music, but when she did not get invited back for the music scholarships, she seemed to reevaluate her goals and options. We are from the east, but had a connection to St Olaf through a family of fine Ollies. Came down to D liking the vibe and diversity of Carleton more, but the food and music are better up on the hill.
I love this thread. Our D1 is in at Carleton which was her first choice. We just now decided we can send her (they gave us some more financial aid). Hooray! We are so excited for her!!! Reading this thread makes me confident of our decision. We’re hoping our D2 will go to Olaf next year. She’s a phenomenal violinist. The orchestra at Olaf blew us away when we visited last year. We live in New York state so at least if they’re far away, they might be in the same town. What a great school. We are so proud of her. Maybe we’ll see you at parents’ weekend. 
P.S. @Mary13 that Mary Cassatt painting is one of my favorites from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I’ve also used it as my profile picture on FB. I feel we must be kindred spirits.
^ @Earthmama68, I have a framed print on my bedroom wall – given to me many years ago by my sister, who couldn’t get over the resemblance between the little girl and my daughter (at that age).
Congratulations to your D1! She is going to love Carleton. My daughter hasn’t made her final decision yet. She was admitted Early Action to Beloit, and over the past few months has gradually and thoroughly fallen in love with it. So now she is mulling her options, weighing what feels right in her head (Carleton) with what feels right in her heart (Beloit).
Two great choices @Mary13 she can’t go wrong either way.